POS0765 SERUM BASIC FIBROBLAST GROWTH FACTOR IN CHILDREN WITH JUVENILE IDIOPATHIC ARTHRITIS
Authors: N. Shevchenko, O. Pavlova
Journal: Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases (2023)

<h3>Background</h3> Patients with rheumatic diseases are at high risk for poor outcomes and gaps in care when severe fibrosis occur, as a result of tissue damage caused by chronic phase of persistent inflammation. Only limited data also controversial results are available on the fibrosis predictors in patients with juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA) on long-term methotrexate (MTX) treatment [1,2] <h3>Objectives</h3> To evaluate serum levels of basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF) in children with juvenile idiopathic arthritis treated with methotrexate. <h3>Methods</h3> 104 patients with polyarthritis (50,96%) and oligoarthritis (40,38%) variants JIA (mean age 13.3 yrs, 59,62 % female, mean age of JIA onset 7.2 yrs, mean disease duration 5.06 yrs) were included in this 4-years prospective study. In 104 children with JIA were treated with MTX 75.96 % (vs. 24.04 % not treated with MTX, 16,35 % were prescribed MTX, but they didn't receive any dose yet on investigation day). Among patients treated with MTX 4.81 % had dose less than 10 mg/m<sup>2</sup>/week, 32.69 % 10-12.5 mg/m<sup>2</sup>/week, 31.73 % 12.6 - 15 mg/m<sup>2</sup>/week, 6.73 % over 15 mg/m<sup>2</sup>/week. bFGF levels were determined by bFGF ELISA kits (Elabscience, USA). Serum levels of bFGF were analyzed depending on patients' gender, age, and age of JIA onset, its variant, duration, activity, and presence of MTX in treatment and its dose. Levels of erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), C-reactive protein (C-RP), circulating immune complex (CIC) and antistreptolysin-O (ASL-O) were analyzed in this study. <h3>Results</h3> We evaluated bFGF level for children with JIA (min: 4171.56 pg/ml; Me:7089.28 pg/ml; max: 18011.25 pg/ml). The average level of bFGF significantly increased in children with age of JIA onset from 15 to 18 years versus age of JIA onset up to 3 years (p = 0.009) and 11–14 years (p = 0.014). It was also found higher bFGF in patients with an average activity according JADAS-27 pattern versus a low one (p = 0.0005). Activity according JADAS-27 pattern, levels of ESR, CIC and ASL-O was associated with bFGF level. Mostly bFGF was correlated with with ASL-O (among: boys r=0.45, patients with oligoarthritis r=0.49, moderate disease activity according to JADAS-27 r=0.58, MTX treatment r= 0.38, dose of МТХ, 12,5-15mg/m2/week r=0.50 p ˂ 0.05), with CIC (among: patients with polyarthritis r=0.37, low disease activity according to JADAS-27 r=0.34, dose of МТХ, less 10mg/m2/week r=0.96 p ˂ 0.05), with ESR (among: girls r=0.37, patients with polyarthritis r=0.38, p ˂ 0.05). <h3>Conclusion</h3> Children with JIA had a higher bFGF level in patients with JIA onset after 15 years old and moderate disease activity. CIC and ESR were corresponded with high bFGF level. Presence of additional streptococcal infection impact on fibrosis formation in children with JIA. <h3>References</h3> [1]Germolec DR, Shipkowski KA, Frawley RP, Evans E. Markers of Inflammation. Methods Mol Biol. 2018;1803:57-79. doi: 10.1007/978-1-4939-8549-4_5. PMID: 29882133. [2]Schuster R, Rockel JS, Kapoor M, Hinz B. The inflammatory speech of fibroblasts. Immunol Rev. 2021 Jul;302(1):126-146. doi: 10.1111/imr.12971. Epub 2021 May 13. PMID: 33987902. <h3>Acknowledgements:</h3> NIL. <h3>Disclosure of Interests</h3> None Declared.